Kitsune no Yume
by alexb49
Summary: Is Zuko the next one in his family to fall into madness? Or is there some other game at play? Rated T for violent imagery. Post Sozin's Comet.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Kitsune no Yume

Rating for this chapter PG-13 for some violent imagery

Summary: Is Zuko the next in his family to fall into madness?

_The fox casually groomed her silver tail as the young man approached. Her eyes lit up, knowing the ways of humans. "What can your humble servant do for you, O handsome prince of man?" said the fox looking up at her visitor._

"_I need your help in trickster ways, O wise one," flattered the young human. "Someone… important to me stands in the way of my destiny."_

"_You are not the first who has asked me such things. Nor shall you be the last. Destiny can be a great blessing." The fox shimmered and transformed in to a beautiful woman. "Or a terrible curse." _

"_I know that my path will bring great honor to my people," the young man said, jaw jutting out resolute. _

_The hubris of the young. The fox purred to herself in delight. These foolish humans brought her so much joy. She transformed back to her preferred form. _

"_I cannot dissuade you?" the fox asked innocently, knowing the answer._

"_No."_

"_Then let us begin."_

______________

Iroh hummed to himself as he bended around the porcelain of the little teapot, bringing the water to the perfect temperature. One, two teaspoons of Silver Needle. His internal clock kept the time meticulously. He produced two delicate cups and decanted the perfectly brewed white tea after the appropriate two minute brewing time. He moved to the table and sat down heavily in anticipation of enjoying a drink with his nephew. He finally looked up to take a good look at the other man.

"My goodness!" Iroh said in alarm. "You look terrible!"

Zuko snorted and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Uncle."

Iroh let out a dismissive "bah!" and said "You know what I mean. I know that things have not been easy since the coronation, but this?"

Zuko's pale skin was paler than usual. Even the scarred side of his face was drooping wearily. He seemed to be barely able to keep his eyes open.

"There doesn't seem to be that much time in the day anymore. There's so much left to be done! Rebuilding the trust between the nations is proving… difficult" He looked away from his uncle. "Since Azula's death, I haven't been sleeping very well," he said, the gravel in his voice even more apparent with his exhaustion.

"Sleep is where the mind goes to refresh itself for the coming day. Without it you won't be able to gain the clarity of thought that you seek. " Iroh paused. "You did everything you could to help your sister. Her imprisonment was the best option for everyone's safety."

Zuko's hand slammed down hard on the table, making dishes clatter. "Then why couldn't I save her from herself?" he yelled hoarsely.

Iroh's deeply lined features creased even further in sadness as he murmured, "She had become a wild thing. No cage would contain her. It was she who chose to end her own life."

Zuko rubbed his temples with both hands as he stretched back in his chair, trying to clear the memory of his and Mai's final visit to Azula's cell from his mind.

Iroh waited patiently. He knew pressing his nephew was not the way to get him to open to him. He let the silence hang between them.

"I've been having these… dreams. Almost like the fever dreams I had in Ba Sing Se." _Finally_.

"Dreams can be like a swollen river. Sometimes it can trap you. Sometimes you must see where it takes you." Iroh patted his belly to punctuate his parable. "Unfortunately you might not like where you end up."

Iroh nibbled at a jelly cake letting more time pass. Zuko ruminated over his uncle's words and traced the image painted on the finely patterned cup with his finger.

Iroh rose to return to the counter for more water. "Perhaps talking to your friends might ease your mind," said Iroh, desperately trying to not look over his shoulder at the other man. He knew it was still difficult for his nephew to ask for help.

"Mai's gone. I don't blame her." Zuko grimaced then threw his head back as he drained the last dregs of his cup.

Iroh's hand stilled as he reached for his measuring spoon. "What about your other friends?"

"They're all so busy now. I don't want to bother them with silly dreams."

_Still so fiercely independent._ He resumed stirring tea in to the pot. "You've gone through so much together. You no longer should ever feel like you should bear your burden alone."

He returned to the table with a fresh pot and refilled Zuko's cup. "Here. Some chamomile and hibiscus. The perfect blend for a good night's sleep."

Zuko let the cup's warmth soak in to him as he held the freshly made tea in his hands.

"Tomorrow. I'll talk to them after the funeral," he said without looking up.

______________________

"_Oh dear Gods!" cried Mai, emotion punching through her hard veneer. _

"_Aww, Zuzu" his sister crooned, as blood dribbled down her chin. "You're so lucky. You're never going to be alone again." _

_He backpedaled and stumbled, tripping over something soft and silver that had wrapped around his feet._

____________________________

"Lord Zuko!"

He bolted upright in his bed, cold sweat making the sheets stick to his lower back. He looked around confused at who called for him. The sun shone brightly through the large bay window. _What time was it?_

"I'm sorry to wake you," said the old woman. She was old. Parchment skin thin old. Her frail hands picked at the edge of the white funeral robes she draped over one arm. "I'm here to ready you for the ceremony. It will soon be time."

"I.. I'm sorry…" he stuttered as he grasped to remember her name. He vaguely remembered she had been a seamstress for his sister but that was all.

His brain still echoed with his dreams, his sister's final taunt crowding out all other thought.

"Daji, my Lord," she supplied, not offended at his lapse. She bowed her grey head to look down as he rose from his bed.

"I'm sorry, Daji. I've had some trouble sleeping and I must have overslept for once."

"No apologies needed my Lord. Come. You must be ready to greet the visiting dignitaries soon."

As the old woman, _Daji_, _he corrected himself_ helped him get in to his funeral robes he considered the fragments of emotions he had to pack away before he faced the public.

-His sister, dead by her own hand, finally free of her madness.

-Mai had fled to Ty Lee on Kyoshi Island. Her childhood's friend suicide clearly opened up old wounds of her own.

-A reunion of sorts of the gang, even if it was for a state funeral of an old enemy.

-Dreams he couldn't understand plaguing him since he had found his sister. Her final words made no sense to him. It would be like her to stab at him with her dying breath**.**

Even with everything he thought he always wanted in place, he felt more alone than ever.

"So handsome," Daji murmured to herself as she settled the last sash into place for him. She turned to the little satchel she had brought in with his clothes and produced a small package.

"I brought you some manku cake for breakfast. "She chuckled and brought a gnarled finger to her lips as her other hand produced a small steamed cake. "Just between you and me, then hmm?"

Zuko took the cake gratefully and she patted him lightly on the forearm. He began the precarious task of attempting to the sweet bean cake while wearing white robes.

Daiji let herself out. "So handsome, " she repeated under her breath, likely thinking he wouldn't hear her. And then, just as she shut the door… "Just like your father."

Zuko choked on the cake, the flavor turning bitter in his mouth.

____________________________________

The ceremony itself had been short and simple. Some still remembered Ozai as their legitimate ruler that promised great glory. Some thought Azula's death too convenient, a newly victorious brother wiping out a bad memory. Too much politics and emotion involved to let the ceremony last long.

Too little family left to mourn the dead.

Zuko had asked his father if he had wanted to be present at the funeral, the night they found her. He had spit at his son's feet and refused to answer, powerless to do anything else. Zuko stared over the heads of the crowd convened on the square.

Iroh took Zuko by the elbow and directed him back towards the palace. "Come. It's time to see your friends."

They made their way to the reception hall, shedding layers of their funeral wear as they passed through the large ornate door.

"Sparky! Iroh! Long time no see!" Toph elbowed Iroh in the side as she cackled at her own joke. Zuko grinned at her. Her time helping Bumi restore Omashu hadn't changed her at all.

He looked up to see the water tribe siblings bringing up the rear. Katara hadn't changed much but Sokka had grown a little in height, if not filling in slightly in the months since they had last met.

"Jerk! It's good to see you!" Sokka clapped forearms with Zuko in greeting, which Zuko returned heartily.

"Good to see you all. You didn't have to come here for this. Especially something so… difficult." Zuko looked at all of them, inwardly grateful for their presence.

"We're family now, buddy. We're gonna support you all the way." Sokka pounded Zuko on the back. "I've been helping train students at Piandao's, so it wasn't far for me," he stage whispered conspiratorially.

"Since Aang got tied up helping the Earth King, we figured we would make sure that everyone knew that we've always got your back," said Toph.

Katara was nowhere near as jovial as the other two. "I had to come," she said, thin lipped. "Even if it was only to see with my own eyes." The friends all turned grim together for a few seconds.

Zuko understood. He wouldn't have believed it himself if he hadn't been there. He turned back to his uncle and

_blood, blood all over the cell floor, he never knew that a person could bleed that much and still be alive, but if anyone could do it, it was his sister, mai was heaving her stomach contents in to the corner, a dog barked behind him, high pitched whine, a dog? how did a dog get in here? there wasn't a dog there before, was th_

Katara reached up and pulled him out of his fog with a gentle hand on his arm. "Hey, are you ok?"

He shook his head to clear it. Iroh fixed him with a piercing stare.

"I'm ok. I'm fine." He placed a hand over Katara's comforting one and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go eat."

"Yes!" exulted Sokka. "You don't have any komodo chicken around would you? I'm starving!"


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Kitsune no Yume

Rating for this chapter PG-13 for some violent imagery

Summary: Is Zuko the next in his family to fall into madness? Or is there something else afoot? Post Sozin's comet.

Warning: character death (I forgot that in the last chapter), no shipping.

A/N: Sorry for the shameless stealing of bits of Japanese and Chinese mythology. Also, feel free to leave feedback of any kind. I'm new at this and without a beta it's hard to tell if this makes sense.

Chapter Two

"_How can I help you, o prince?" asked as the silver fox danced around the man before her._

"_These are troubled times. I need to know how to rally my people around me," answered the human. "We will not be able to bring prosperity to the world without this."_

"_Ah, this is not an easy thing." The fox bounced as if on springs to perch on a stone ledge to bring her eyes level with that of the human. "It will require great sacrifice."_

"_I'm willing to do whatever it takes for my people."_

_______________________________

His head was pounding. No. Wait. That was the door.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head!" he heard Sokka's voice drift through the thick metal door as he continued to beat on it. "You can't make me drag myself out of bed early to spar then no show on me! I'll kick your butt in there if I have to!"

Zuko groaned and dragged his exhausted frame to the door to open it.

Sokka stood there ready fist upraised to strike the door again. His cheery grin fell from his face as he took a good look at the other man.

"Whoa! You look like crap!" The imperial guard stationed in the hallway hovered over Sokka's shoulder, looking like they were eagerly awaiting the command to dispose of Sokka.

Zuko's lips twitched in a smirk. "So everyone keeps telling me." He backed away from the door to allow Sokka entrance.

Sokka's face turned stern as he turned to face the guardsmen at his back. He glared at them and gave a firm wave of dismissal. "Shoo!" he said as if talking to an errant kitten, then turned on his heel and followed Zuko inside.

"Wow! Would you look at this place? Even the curtains have curtains!" Sokka fingered the heavily lined drapes layered over the large bay windows.

"I know. I live here." Zuko moved to the large walk in closet and began rummaging for clothes.

"Hey! I'm the joke guy, remember?" said Sokka, thrusting a thumb at his own chest. "You're the lord-over-your-subjects-and-pout guy."

Someone standing at the wide open door cleared their throat. The two turned as one to see Daji there with a tray of food.

"Breakfast my Lord?" Zuko supposed that keeping the old seamstress busy attending to him was the only way to keep her active. He didn't go through nearly as many outfits as Azula did so her sewing skills were not necessary. It felt right somehow to make sure the old woman who had ties to his sister was cared for.

"No thanks, Daji. I'm not feeling hungry this morning." Zuko continued to gather appropriate sparring clothes and moved in to the closet to change.

Sokka rubbed his hands together with glee as he approached the tray. "I'm always up for a second breakfast." He drew up short as the old woman inexplicably threw a look filled sheer hate at him. He gulped loudly and he suddenly felt his skin pimple up on the back of his neck. He let his hands drop to his sides.

"I will come back later then," she said as her face switched back to neutral in an instant as Zuko popped back out of his closet, newly attired. She left quickly.

Sokka's stomach felt a little queasy as he stared after her departing back. "Something's not right about that woman."

Zuko snorted. "She had to work for my sister. I'm pretty sure that would mess up anybody."

-------------------------

"Are you sure you want to do this? You're lookin'… a little rough." Sokka removed the scabbard and new jian from his belt. He eyed the line of Imperial guards watching over them in the square with suspicion.

"I need this," Zuko said shrugging. He gestured at Sokka's weapon. "That's new."

Sokka sighed as he patted his jian. "Not as good as Space Sword but Slashy here gets the job done."

They bowed to each other and began.

Their moves were smooth and styles complemented each other well. The twin bladed dao moved quickly through the air moving as one. The jian's reinforced scabbard became a second weapon in Sokka's hands as he used it as both shield and instrument to strike.

They were working up a light sweat in the breezy courtyard and then

_blood again, no, no, no, not now, azula chuckling at him as she took her last breath, never be alone again, what did that mean, he saw a flash of silver again as something wrapped around his throat something soft began to smother him_

The bright flash of pain brought him back to himself. He dropped to his knees and clutched at his good ear as he realized Sokka had swatted him in the side of the head with the flat of his blade.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sokka stood over him, berating him as if he were an errant student. "Never let your attention lapse like that! I could have killed you!" Two of the Imperial guardsmen tackled Sokka. He let them disarm him, unconcerned by their presence as he continued to stare angrily at Zuko.

"Release him!" commanded Zuko as he unsteadily made it to his feet. The guards did so reluctantly. Sokka grabbed his jian without looking from the clutches of the guard holding it with a "Hmph!"

"I've been a little distracted lately," Zuko admitted as he continued to touch his rapidly swelling ear.

"C'mon," said Sokka softening. He threw an arm around the other man and said softly, "Let's talk. I mean…" Sokka paused to clear his throat and glanced at the watching guards. He dropped his voice an octave and boomed importantly, "Let's go discuss how to improve your technique, Fire Lord Zuko!"

-------------------------

They retired to the secluded office he used to deal with the mundane tasks of nation rebuilding. A large ornate desk piled with scrolls sat in the middle with two plush chairs on either side. Zuko knew that very few would risk disturbing him if they thought he would be working.

Sokka swept the scrolls of the desk on to the floor with a grand sweep of his arms. "Ahh, that's better!" he said cheerily. He sprawled in to a chair and put his feet up on the table.

Zuko dropped his dao at his feet as he took a seat at the desk opposite Sokka.

"C'mon now! Spill it!"

Zuko smiled a little. Of his friends, Sokka was the best choice to try to talk to right now. Katara would have been too sensitive. Toph would be more brutally honest than he could handle right now. Aang was still too innocent even with all that he had been through.

Most of all, Sokka would understand the turbulence of feeling Zuko had for his deceased sister.

"I've been having problems sleeping since Azula… died." He rubbed at his eyes to clear his head. "She said something. She said I was lucky and that I would never be alone again. I've thought about it and I still don't understand what she meant."

"Heeeyyy!" Sokka's face opened up in a big grin. "You're Fire Lord now! And you've got us! What more could you want?"

"I don't think that's it." Zuko frowned in concentration. "My sister never said had any good words to say to me in her life."

There was a knock at the door and Iroh's round face peeked past as he opened the office door a crack. "Oh! You have company! Good! Uh, I mean… I just wanted to make sure you had received the latest batch of reports from the Minister of the Interior."

Right. Just making sure Zuko was talking to someone, more like.

Sokka stretched himself out to his full length, almost tipping backwards in his chair. "Don't worry Iroh! I'm just going to tell Zuko here a few more tales about how awesome I am and then I'll be on my way."

"Excellent, excellent!" Iroh beamed. He dropped his voice and looked at Zuko. "I'll be by to check on those… scrolls later." The door sealed shut once more behind him.

"Thank you, Uncle." Zuko shook his head at his uncle's weak excuse to check on him. How the feared General who lead the Seige at Ba Sing Se became such a terrible liar he would never know.

"So," said Sokka, back to business. "What else? It's no big surprise that your sister would lie to you."

"Dreams. These dreams. I go to bed and I wake up even more tired than I started." Zuko looked at his hands , fingers intertwined in his lap. "I'm starting to have them while I'm awake," he said, his voice creaking like a rusty door.

Sokka screwed up his face in thought and seemed to stroke a phantom beard. "Hmm, what happens in these dreams?" he asked in an unusual deep voice.

Zuko looked at him askance for a second at Sokka's odd personality change. He started again. "That's the problem. I can't remember them. The one I do remember is the day I found Azula. Even that keeps changing."

"Hmm. Tell me more!" The sonorous voice continued.

OK. So maybe Sokka wasn't the best choice. He shrugged it off. "Something silver, that I can only see out of the corner of my mind's eye. It keeps trying to wrap itself around me. Trying to hurt me."

"Perhaps it is a manifestation of your anxiety at your sister's death?"

Sokka's words made sense, even if Sokka himself didn't.

"I don't know. I've been able to handle a lot of stress before."

"Have you tried to take control of your dreams? It is a difficult technique but can be effective to counter nightmares" Sokka seemed to be twirling an invisible mustache.

Zuko frowned at Sokka and wondered if this was some sort of Water Tribe thing. "I suppose I could try that." He hadn't really taken a clinical eye to the events on that night.

"Let me suggest a dream diary as well. Then we can discuss it further at our next session!"

"I'll try it. Anything to get me resting easier. Thanks, Sokka."

Sokka instantly changed back to his normal self and gave a cheeky grin. "No problem, jerk."

______________________

Sokka finally took his leave to go join his sister to visit the Northern Water Tribe delegation that had come for the funeral. Zuko decided he would try to get some work done then meditate to clear his head.

He sighed as he picked up an armful of scrolls off the floor and replaced them on the desk. "Thanks, Sokka," he echoed from earlier, this time a little more annoyed.

After an hour or two of pouring over boring report after report on crop yields and requests for funding he began to nod off. This time he welcomed it.

_blood again, prepared now he scanned the cell looking for hints of silver, you're lucky, you'll never be alone again, what does that mean? he roared in anger at the ceiling, he heard barking again, pivoted on his heel, saw a flash of silver, and what, a tail? face me! he ordered, he turned, the cell suddenly clean and empty_

He snapped awake as a tray hit the desk next to where his head lay on his cushion of arms after falling asleep.

Someone was in the room with him.

"My Lord!" Daji was peering down at him critically. "You still have not eaten today. I bring you sustenance. You must eat." She fiddled with a bowl of rice laid out on the tray.

"Here. Some fresh mango juice." She offered him the cool drink, which he absently moved to take from her.

"No!" Zuko looked up towards the source of the outcry.

His uncle stood at the open doorway, angrier than he had ever seen him. Iroh thrust a finger at Daji. "Step away from him!"

Zuko froze for a second, trying to figure out what had angered his uncle so. Instinctively he reached under the desk for his dao swords that sat where he dropped them earlier. Stunned, he watched the frail old woman straighten the curvature in her spine and ball her fists as she threw her head back and _wailed_ at Iroh's presence.

"You tried to stop me before, human and failed!" she spat at Iroh. Zuko flung himself away from the desk. He kicked aside his chair to create a barrier and dropped in to a bo stance, dao swords at the ready.

Daji had turned to look at him and he almost gagged. Her flesh was beginning to bubble away from her face like a simmering soup.

"You cannot take him!" Iroh roared and took two steps towards them both. He drew out a cloth amulet, an _omamori_ , and directed it at Daji. Imperial guardsmen appeared and crowded at the door, unsure of what to do.

She threw an arm up to shield herself from Iroh's raised hand and bared her teeth at him. "It is what is owed to me! Sozin's bargain was made long ago!" Her voice became more sing song and rose in hysteria.

Iroh maneuvered himself closer to Zuko as he tried to get the now ghoulish looking woman to focus on himself. "Your promise was false! You have taken too much!"

"He has resisted me more than the others but I will take him too!" she cried and lunged at Zuko.

Zuko let out a _kiai_ and launched a fireball through his blade at the grotesque creature that moved too fast for its frame.

She did nothing to deflect or dodge it. The plume of flame hit her at the waist, the high heat charring clothes and skin instantly. She let out another high pitched wail and fell to the floor as the thin robes she wore lit up like kindling.

Both men watched panting with adrenaline. The body continued to move as if something was trying to claw its way out from underneath the flesh and flames. An unearthly voice echoed in the large bedchamber. "Fool!" A silver fox with glowing eyes stood atop the burning human wreckage, unaffected by the flames.

Iroh punched at the fox, _omamori _clutched in his fist. The fox flew at Zuko , whose blades passed harmlessly through the creature as it attacked him. The fox struck Zuko squarely in the chest and then vanished.

Zuko staggered as if struck by a heavy blow and blinked blindly at Iroh. "Uncle?" he murmured softly before stumbling to the floor, blades hitting the carpeted floor with dull thuds.

Iroh let out a gutteral cry. He sat down heavily next to his prone nephew, grateful to see the painfully slow rise and fall of Zuko's chest with his continued breathing. He placed the _omamori _in Zuko's palm and enclosed the limp fingers and charm with his own warm hands. He closed his eyes, uttering a prayer.

"Let me through you worthless tin cans!" Toph bended and flung the armor-wearing guards who weren't moving fast enough headfirst down the hallway. She had felt the trouble begin and had come as fast as she could.

Toph could distinguish Iroh's rapid heartbeat and Zuko's painfully slow one. The smell of burnt flesh was still thick in the air. "What happened?" she asked Iroh softly.

Iroh's voice was old and weary. She felt the tiny vibrations of tears hitting the soft fabric of his tunic.

"The kitsune has taken Zuko to the spirit world." He drew a ragged breath and bowed his head. "We must find the Avatar."

________________


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Kitsune no Yume

Rating for this chapter PG-13 for some violent imagery

Summary: Is Zuko the next in his family to fall into madness? Or is there something else afoot? Post Sozin's comet.

Where we meet Captain Exposition. Any reviews are helpful. Good, bad, indifferent. All are welcome. Thanks to those that have reviewed already. I can never really tell if people just think this is a bit of fan-wankery.

Chapter 3

There was a gentle breeze on his face. He laid spread eagle with something long and sharp poking him in his hip. His eyes opened slowly to make out a huge tangled canopy of trees towering above him with an impossible amber sky. A faint mist snaked its tendrils through the branches. He slowly expelled a deep breath that he didn't realize he was holding. He closed his eyes again and remembered the smell of the old woman's burning flesh and the kitsune jumping _into_ him and pulling, pulling, pulling.

Zuko did what he always did and fought back as hard as he could. Now he was here. Clearly no longer in the Fire Nation. He suspected no longer in any nation.

Or he had gone completely mad. There was always more than one option.

The calls of unfamiliar creatures echoed in the distance. Small fireflies danced in the air, ignoring his presence. He had his suspicions on where his terrible luck had landed him this time. His people had drifted away from the old ways, no longer teaching their children the ways of the spirits. He remembered sneaking into his cousin's bedroom to beg his cousin to tell him stories of the fantastic beasts that filled the spirit world. Lu-Ten had been more than happy to oblige. His sister had teased him mercilessly, of course. "It's boring and childish," she had said, though she always seemed to show up when Lu-Ten was going to tell a particularly scary tale.

He sat up gingerly, checking for any newly acquired injuries. He made to scratch the back of his neck when he realized he had something in his hand.

The _omamori_. He shouldn't have been surprised. If any mere mortal could have helped him somehow in the spirit world it would have been Iroh. He held the piece of fabric to his stomach for a moment then pocketed it.

Satisfied that he was uninjured for once, he examined his landing spot. He was on a ledge made of an intricate weave of roots from the towering trees. He rolled over to cautiously look over the edge and blanched at how high up he was.

"You won't get very far that way!" Zuko scrambled up to a defensive crouch at the unexpected voice. A long nosed furry thing with human hands observed him from a branch above him. He struggled to remember the stories from his childhood. There couldn't be too many spirits that looked like a fat raccoon with a pair of giant test... ha! A tanuki! That was it.

The tanuki smiled as Zuko focused on him. It launched itself from its perch, morphing in to a tiny jeweled hummingbird. It chose a spot on the ledge the furthest part from Zuko.

The tanuki transformed back to its raccoon shape. It chuckled. "Well, I should say you would get very far but at a much faster speed than you're used to."

Zuko relaxed a little. The tanuki were rarely dangerous if he remembered correctly. "I'm in the Spirit World aren't I?"

"Of course you are, my dear boy." The tanuki changed into a massive elephant with tiny butterfly wings . "Where else could you be?"

Zuko could hardly believe that he was getting answers. Could fate be kind for once? "How did I get here? How can I get back?"

"Ah." The tanuki turned into a cartoonish fox with giant eyes, still as far from Zuko as he could get. "An evil kitsune called Daji brought you here. She has been missing from the spirit world for some time. I can feel that she has returned." He turned back in to his raccoon self. "It is beyond my power to send you back to the mortal realm."

A giant eyeball with the wings of a wasp buzzed overhead. The iris constricted when it caught sight of Zuko and dove at him suddenly. Zuko took a horse stance and threw a punch at the bizarre thing plummeting towards him. No fire came.

No, no, no, no, repeated Zuko mindlessly. He had forgotten that part of the bedtime story. He drew back into a defensive stance and watched as the winged eyeball bounced _hard_ off of an unseen barrier. The dazed eyeball shook itself and flew off at a kink in one wing.

Zuko stared at his hands in frustration. He supposed fate was just as cruel no matter which world he was in. "Thank you for protecting me."

"Oh, no. That wasn't me. Do you not know the protective properties of the _omamuri _you carry? It shields you from us. Unfortunately you have the scent of the Avatar about you and that will attract many."

"Wonderful. I didn't think being a friend of Aang's would put a target on my back."

"Your connection to the Avatar is deeper than that."

Zuko smacked himself in the forehead. "Roku!" Zuko began pacing on the ledge, forcing the tanuki to dance backwards from the invisible protective bubble. "Sorry," said Zuko sheepishly. "If I find Roku, he might be able to help me get back home."

"The spirit world is a vast place. It may take some time to find Avatar Roku. Hopefully your physical body is safe in the mortal world."

That crushed what little optimism Zuko had left. His shoulders sagged. "I hope so too."

* * *

Iroh picked up Zuko easily and carried him like a sleeping child back to the imperial bedroom.

Toph stomped ahead of them, clearing the most direct path back for them. Unfortunately for the palace staff, this included people as well as walls.

Sokka skidded around a corner behind them and sprinted the rest of the way to catch up. "I sent Hawky Two to find Aang as soon as I heard."

"Good," Iroh grunted as he adjusted Zuko in his arms.

Katara was waiting for them at the reinforced bedroom door. She held the heavy door open as they marched through. Iroh laid Zuko gently on top of the covers of the plush bed. Katara immediately sheathed her hands in glowing blue water and placed them on Zuko's chest. She frowned.

"Physically he's fine. But it's like he's not there."

Iroh dragged one of the padded chairs to Zuko's bedside and sat down wearily.

"The fox spirit took him to the spirit world. The old woman was a temporary host for it."

"I knew there was something wrong with that woman," said Sokka angrily. He held his head in his hands. "I should have done something!"

"You couldn't have known," said Toph, trying to not betray her own panic as she felt the rapid beats of everyone as they fretted.

"I've been to the spirit world! I sensed something was wrong! I should have known!" Sokka turned on Toph angrily.

Katara placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sokka, stop! It's no one's fault."

"It is my fault," rumbled Iroh. The others held their breath and waited.

"Our family has been cursed by the kitsune for a long time. I tried to end it once before. I failed then." Iroh rubbed the _omamuri_ in Zuko's hand. "I failed you now."

* * *

_The fox idly sniffed the air. "What would you like from me, Fire Lord Sozin?"_

_The young Fire Lord stood his ground. "I need to rally my people behind me. We have the potential to spread our way of life and bring peace to every corner of this world. I do know that one miscalculation would destroy everything that I've worked for. If we attempted to conquer other nations, an old friend has the power to stop me without a second glance."_

"_Easy enough," she said, as she scratched at her ear. "Hunt the dragons."_

_Sozin was amazed. "The dragons have been the symbols of strength for my people for generations!"_

_The fox looked stared at him now, unblinking. "Taking dragons as sport will show the world that your people are its true masters. A comet soon approaches that will allow you to take the first steps in conquering the world."_

_Small flames flickered through the smile on Sozin's face as he thought of the world unifying under the Fire Nation."This is just the information I needed. How can I repay you, spirit?'_

"_Oh, it's such a small thing." The fox coyly turned her head._

"_Name it!"_

"_Let me be with you as your helper on this quest." The fox watched carefully out of the corner of her eye._

"_I don't understand."_

"_It's simple. If you consent, I will guide you on your mission for as long as it takes for you to succeed."_

"_I consent! Your insight will be most useful."_

"_Excellent." The fox held up a paw in an almost human gesture. "Let us begin anew."_

_Sozin bemusedly reached his hand out to touch the fox's upraised paw. The kitsune vanished when he made contact. Sozin staggered but caught himself before falling. _

_His gold eyes flashed silver for a second._

_Sozin looked over the empty room. "Yes. This should prove most interesting."_


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Kitsune no Yume chapter 4

Rating for this chapter PG-13 for some violent imagery

Summary: Is Zuko the next in his family to fall into madness? Or is there something else afoot? Post Sozin's comet.

My apologies to those who had comments or questions in their reviews- I'm unsure how to reply if there is no link for me to do so. I'm still pretty new to so please feel free to use the PM feature if you'd like. Feedback always appreciated.

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The short legged _tanuki_ ran up ahead as Zuko ducked under another low lying branch.

He wished he had his swords to cut through the tangled brush. "Where are we going?"

The _tanuki_ ignored the question for a moment as it scrambled up a tree trunk to get a better view of the way ahead. "Finding Avatar Roku may take some time. You need a weapon. Ah!" With a deep breath, the _tanuki_ leapt from the trunk. Zuko winced violently as he watched the spirit creature inflate its scrotum and parachute to a safe landing near a burrow. Ouch. Azula had always laughed at that part of the story.

The fat furry creature stuffed itself in to a small hole in the burrow, its rear half too plump to fit the remainder of the way. He could hear its muffled voice as it searched for something.

"No. No. No. Yes!" It backed out of the burrow hole with an audible pop. It produced a longbow as well as a quiver full of arrows that couldn't have possibly fit in the tiny space. It set the weapon down and backed away to distance himself from the protective barrier of the _omamori_.

Zuko fell to his knees to take the simple weapon with reverence. The bow was a _yumi, _strong, made of bamboo with simple leather thongs keeping the bowstring in place. The quiver held a dozen arrows longer than his arm's length. He stroked the arrows' fletching, made from jet black hawk feathers. As prince, he of course had some rudimentary archery training that all nobility had been required to study.

He had much preferred his _dao_.

"You didn't have to do all this." He glanced up at the suddenly bashful _tanuki_.

"For a long time, I've owed a great debt to Avatar Yangchen. It is a small thing for me to help save one of the Avatar's descendants now."

"Thank you," murmured Zuko. He rose and took up the bow and arrows, feeling better to have one tangible thing in this intangible place.

"Don't thank me yet. There is much to be done." The _tanuki_ again bounded up ahead. It paused and cocked its head sideways. Zuko tried to discern what it was listening for. He scanned the tree line for any hint of danger.

She was here.

The fox was a silver blur as she threw herself at the _tanuki_ . She landed on it and raked its fat belly with her claws. "Wretched creature! How dare you help this mortal? He is mine!"

Zuko quickly drew up his newly acquired weapon but couldn't trust himself to take a shot that would not hit the _tanuki_ as well. He could not risk hurting the creature that had helped him and he was no Yu Yan archer.

The _tanuki_ tried to transform in to a snake to slither away only to have the fox bite down on its jugular. The _tanuki_ squealed and returned to its raccoon form, trying to staunch the flow of blood with its hands.

The fox turned her attention back to Zuko, ignoring the _tanuki's_ struggles. On closer inspection it was obvious that the fox had not been doing well. Her coat was patchy and dull, great clumps of fur falling out all along her back. Blood dripped from her muzzle.

"Armed now? No matter," the fox panted. "Your family has bent to my will for generations now. I will see success here as well."

"What?" Zuko involuntarily stepped towards the fox. The fox whimpered as the barrier effect of the _omamori_ touched her, but the _tanuki_ cried out as it brushed that creature as well. Zuko jumped back.

"Sozin's line has been a great source of power to me for a century. Your sister was particularly difficult to deal with. We were allies for a time but her madness trapped me for a time. Her death freed me to move on to you. I could only get to your dreams at first," she taunted. "And now I've come for you.

Flashes of his dreams started to come back to him. _You're never going to be alone again. _A man paying a visit to a fox. A death sentence for the dragons. A terrible deal made that would cause death and destruction for countless people. That was all real? Zuko's stomach tightened in horror as he tried to wrap his mind around it. His anger began to crest but without his bending he didn't know how to handle it.

The fox closed her eyes and seemed to relish the waves of impotent rage that radiated from him. "You are so much more fun to play with than your father," she said, a chuckle in her voice.

Zuko's vision went white as he again readied the bow, this time taking a shot. The arrow went high missing both spirits by a narrow margin.

The fox sprung into the air and bounded off, her laughter echoing behind her. He drew out another arrow and, hands shaking, let loose another arrow as well as a cry of fury at her departing back. The arrow hit a branch uselessly as she leapt over both, making her escape.

He tried to calm himself. His face contorted with anger, then smoothed as he breathed deeply. He turned back to the bleeding _tanuki. _ He had to help this thing that had helped him. He reached into his tunic and pulled out the _omamori. _ He set it down and moved towards the injured spirit.

"No! Don't!" gasped the _tanuki_ weakly. "She wants you to give up the _omamori's_ protection."

"I can't just sit here and watch you…" Zuko began.

"Die?" It still had the strength to let out a laugh. "Nothing really dies in the spirit world. I'll be back in a century or two… right… as… rain…." The _tanuki_ trailed off, took one final sigh and was still.

Zuko's face twisted up again but he had to press on. He returned the _omamori_ to his tunic, grimly aware that it would no longer affected the _tanuki_. He touched the furry creature and was surprised to feel it begin to harden in to stone. He gathered up the tiny statue that the spirit had become and made his way back to the burrow. After setting the statue down carefully, on hands and knees, he dug out great handfuls of earth to widen the opening to the burrow. With no words, he gingerly placed the statue within it.

He sighed wearily and shielded his eyes from the light breaking through the canopy above. He settled the bow and arrow quiver across his back and headed towards a break in the forest.

_____________________________________________

Sokka frowned as he slumped in the seat he had pulled up next to Iroh. "I can't believe all we're doing is waiting."

Toph shrugged. "What can we do? We can't go over to the spirit world until Twinkletoes gets here." She crossed her arms as she adjusted her position against the window sill.

Katara was studying Iroh's face, a picture of misery. She reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You can't keep blaming yourself for this."

Iroh finally spoke. "I regret deeply that Zuko must suffer for my failures." He reached for a handkerchief and blew his nose loudly. "My family made a deal with the devil long ago and he now has to pay for the evil done by others. "

"The _kitsune," _Katara guessed. Sokka sat up in his chair to listen.

Iroh nodded. " Sozin had thought to use the _kitsune_ to conquer the other nations without interference from the Avatar. The _kitsune_ used him to relish in death and destruction. He saw no shame in this spirit coaxing the Fire Nation to war. Neither did my father, Azulon. As the crown was passed on, so too was the cursed spirit. When it was my turn, though I was first born I had little desire to take the crown from my father. I kept myself away from the palace as much as I could, throwing myself into battle to stay away at all costs. While I was away the spirit made her choice on which son would be the true successor."

"She picked Ozai?" Katara prompted again.

"Yes," rumbled Iroh. "Ozai had always been ruthless. With the help of the _kitsune_, he began to lean towards madness. After Ozai became Firelord and I returned from Ba Sing Se, I vowed to try and break the curse." He paused. "I traveled to the spirit world to find a way to destroy the _kitsune_."

"You what?!?" gasped Sokka as Toph brusquely talked over him to ask "How did you do that?"

"I had the Fire Sages open a gateway for me during a summer solstice. I hoped that would give me more strength to succeed." He looked down at his hands. "It did not."

"I learned much in my time there, but I did not have the proper tools to hunt the _kitsune. _ I returned to the mortal realm and discovered that it had already moved on to Azula._" _He stretched the handkerchief between his hands. "I could not bear the thought of harming a child." He sniffed loudly. "Now it has moved on to Zuko and I have failed yet again."

"No!" Sokka rose from his chair and pointed a finger at Iroh. "You know Zuko! I bet he's fighting that thing with everything he's got! You can't give up on him!"

Iroh stared stonily at Zuko's sleeping face. "The _kitsune_ is too strong. I must stop this curse once and for all."

Toph's sightless eyes widened as she felt Iroh's heart beat faster with his words. She shoved herself away from the wall, firmly rooting herself to the ground in front of Iroh's chair "What do you think you're going to do, old man?" she said threateningly.

Iroh's face crumbled. "Zuko would never stand for living as a shell, the puppet of another being. If the Avatar cannot help him… "

He drew a ragged breath and started again. "If the _kitsune_ defeats Zuko in the spirit world, then I will destroy them both here in the mortal world."

_________________

A/N: My apologies for stealing so much from Japanese and Chinese mythology. My apologies again if I have butchered anything. The story uses a mishmash of different beliefs. Thanks for playing along.

P.S. Yes the _tanuki_ do in fact have giant magic testicles that children sing about in playground songs.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Kitsune no Yume chapter 4

Rating for this chapter PG-13 for some violent imagery

Summary: Is Zuko the next in his family to fall into madness? Or is there something else afoot? Post Sozin's comet.

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The sky burnt a fierce amber as Zuko continued to make his way through the tangled forest. His frustration mounted as he passed beasts large and small, all refusing to talk to him. A giant monkey with an impressive beard had made a rude gesture when he had asked for directions.

He needed to find Roku and he had no idea how to do that.

He pressed on, characters he heard described in Lu-Ten's calming voice running through his head. Baku the Eater of Dreams could have helped him before but there were no dreams here, where no one ever slept.

He heard the sound of moving water in the distance. A stream or river? Perhaps a water sprite might be more helpful than that crabby old monkey.

Pushing a thick fan of leaves aside, it was there. A huge river snaked alongside the hilltop, the turbulent water a faint purple. Large rock formations jutted out of the water sending huge jets of spray towards the amber sky.

"Help!" came a cry over the rushing water. A figure clung to the rocks. He rushed forward, stumbling down the hillside towards the person. As Zuko came closer, he pulled up short, all color draining from his face.

Azula. Her eyes wide and pleading. Clinging by her fingertips to the slippery stone. "Zuko! Help me!" she pleaded. She had never begged for anything in her life. But how much of that was her and how much of that had been the _kitsune_?

How could this be happening? She shouldn't have been in the spirit world. The spirits of the dead went to a different plane of existence. Impossible.

But by all accounts, he shouldn't have been there either.

His heart thundered against his breastbone as his emotions and logic tore at each other. This was a trap, surely. But what if it wasn't?

He dumped his _yumi_ bow and quiver as he sprinted up to the shoreline and tried to see where the best point of entry would be. The water flowed fast and strong. Quickly he shucked his tunic to keep the heavy fabric from weighing him down and dove in. The current pulled at him but he twisted with it, directing himself towards the rock that Azula clutched at so desperately. He came upstream from her and hit the rock hard, cushioning the impact with his legs. He scrambled for what little purchase he could find. "Grab my hand!" She reached out and missed but Zuko lunged forward to grab her forearm.

The muscles in his shoulder screamed at him as he pulled against the current with all his strength. "Hold on tight!" He wrapped her arms around her neck and let go for them both, bodies twisting again at the mercy of the river. He twisted again using himself as a shield. He tried to surf the swirling patterns, trying to keep both of their heads above water. A large tree root jutted out close enough that he grabbed on with both hands, Azula still holding on tightly as he pulled them out of the water.

They both collapsed on the river's edge. Zuko crawled up on to all fours, coughing out what had seeped in to his lungs.

"Thank you, brother." Panting from exertion he looked up at her.

Her face twisted up into a snarl. "Thank you so very much." She shimmered and the fox stood in her place.

Zuko dropped his head in resignation. His only weapons, the bow and _omamori_, were well out of reach upstream. He had known what could happen. There had just been a sliver of hope in him that he could have helped his sister one last time.

He rolled up on to his feet and fell into a _gong bu_ stance. Tossing his head to get wet hair from his eyes, he brought up his hands in a knife hand grip as he prepared to fight.

___________________________________________

Katara couldn't breath as her chest tightened in horror of what Iroh was planning.

Toph said nothing but held her rooted stance, hands twisting into the phoenix eye fist, thumbs jutting out.

"You are not going to harm a hair on Zuko's scruffy little head! "Sokka yelled. "We won't let you!"

Iroh didn't look up. He looked every bit of his many years. "I do what I must."

Toph suddenly dropped her guard. She had felt Appa's massive body land in the palace's center square. "They're here," she said quietly.

Katara sunk to her knees and covered Iroh's hands with her own on his lap. She looked up at him, searching his face for acknowledgement. "Please give him more time. We don't want to fight you."

Iroh's face suddenly became dark as he thundered, "What would you have me do? Stand aside as my nephew is corrupted beyond all imagining? Watch what's left of my family as he becomes a force of evil to terrorize and slaughter innocents?" He rose up out of his chair. "No! I cannot let that happen!"

Sokka drew his sword as Katara rose and backed away from Iroh's chair. She uncorked her water flask and waited with sad eyes. Iroh turned his head to avoid her gaze.

Toph ignored them all and seemed to be listening. She flicked her hand open and closed again, which flung the heavy metal doors open.

With a blast of air, Aang zipped into the room. "Hey guys!" He backpedalled wildly to halt himself nearly unseating Momo from his shoulders.

He gawked open mouthed at the scene in the room. Zuko was flat out on his bed, Sokka standing over him, pulling his sword on _Iroh_? Katara had tendrils of water dancing around her, ready to strike.

"Whoa! What did I miss?"

Toph simply had a sad smirk on her face. "Glad you could join us, Twinkletoes."

__________________________________________

The fox sprung on him. He parried downward, deflecting the first attack.

"So soft hearted." The fox's voice dripped with scorn. "So much easier to manipulate than the rest of your line."

"I won't let you harm anyone ever again." He tried edging back up the shoreline. If he could at least get back to his tunic to regain the protection of the _omamori_… The bow and arrow was even further up the river's edge than that.

"You have nothing to help you anymore, little one!" She leapt again, this time he drove her upwards, delivering a piercing needle strike to her soft underbelly as he forced her pass overhead. The fox hit the ground hard, trying to regain her breath.

She panted harshly as she looked for an opening. "It was your father's idea to punish you after the Agni Kai."

Zuko grimaced at her words and tried to ignore her taunting. She laughed at his anger, slowly building inside him.

He closed his eyes for a half-second to try to get his breathing under control.

"He came up with that idea…all… by…himself." She lunged to snap at his calves.

The sandy riverbank shifted out from under his feet, causing him to stumble backwards. He couldn't catch himself.

She pounced again. He threw up his arm to protect his neck. She latched on, shaking her head to tear sensitive flesh with her teeth. He bit down on his lip to dampen the grunt of pain that he couldn't contain. He punched the side of her head with his free hand and that made her clamp down harder.

He heard a rush of air and heard a dull thump as something thudded into the fox's hip. The fox released her grip on Zuko's arm and wailed.

An arrow. He looked up, frantically searching for the source.

A towering white haired figure in red robes bent down to draw another arrow from the quiver Zuko had abandoned by the riverside.

Roku.

Zuko heaved to shove off the fox as it uselessly chewed at the arrow embedded in its hip. Avatar Roku walked briskly to close in on the two figures on the sandy bank.

The fox screamed and frothed, saliva hanging in ribbons from her muzzle. "I will destroy you, boy! Tear your soul into tiny pieces and spit them out!"

Zuko got to his feet as Roku joined him. "I believe these belong to you." He handed Zuko the _yumi_ bow and arrow. Zuko took the weapon and turned on the fox.

He notched the arrow in the bow string and drew back.

The fox gnashed her teeth. "I will find you again! If not you, then your children. Your children's children!"

With his face resolute, Zuko released the string. The arrow struck true, piercing the fox at her heart. She thrashed, raging, bloody flecks of spittle at her lips then was still.

He waited as the small body turned to stone. With a cry, he brought down all his anger and grief on to the statue with a massive hammer kick. The stone crumbled in to pieces. Patiently he gathered up the pieces and wandered to the water's edge. He flung the pieces, one by one in to the raging purple river until they were all gone.

Roku waited for him. "You seem to be a long way from home."

"You could say that," Zuko said dryly. "How did you find me?"

"Mortals do not survive long on their own in the spirit world. I could never turn my back on a stranger in need of assistance," he said casually. Roku's lined face furrowed even deeper as he scanned Zuko's face. "You seem familiar, though," he murmured lost in thought. He paused. "You remind me of one of my grandchildren."

"Ursa," said Zuko, an ache in the pit of his stomach, his voice raw. "My mother."

Roku hesitated for a second then caught Zuko up in a fierce hug. Zuko twisted great handfuls of to the other man's robes in his fists. They hung from each other silently, neither wanting to be the first to let go.

Roku pushed Zuko to arm's length and tried to memorize his face. "I did not live long enough to see her grow up and have children of her own. My gateway to pass into the mortal realm was blocked when Aang was frozen." He gently touched the skin at the base of Zuko's scar. "I would have been powerless to aid you and her family if I had known."

"It mostly worked out all right." Zuko's voice seemed to tear itself from his throat. "In the end."

"Come. Let us get you home."

_______________________________________

The bedroom was deathly quiet. Aang had crawled up onto Zuko's bed and sat in his lotus posture for his journey to the spirit world. His tattoos fluoresced bright blue, lighting up the room as the sun set outside.

Sokka's eyes had never left Iroh since the older man issued his threat. He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword, thumbing the clasp that kept it in its scabbard. He had moved Iroh's chair to the spot in the room furthest from the bed and ordered the man to sit in it. Iroh had complied as they waited.

Toph cracked her knuckles overhead as she stretched. "How long does this usually take, Sweetness?"

Katara looked back and forth between the seated and reclining figure on the bed. "I don't know. I'm pretty sure that the passage of time is different between the two worlds."

Iroh looked up, face still lined in sorrow. He turned his head to the ceiling and let out a small cry of joy.

Sokka instinctively looked up to see what Iroh was reacting to and felt his jaw drop. "Ahhh!" His arm flailed wildly as he pointed at the ghostly figures floating down from the ceiling. "See-through Zuko!"

"What? Where?" Katara sprang up and searched the room but saw nothing.

The bodies on the bed let out deep sighs together as their spirits returned to their bodies.

"You're back!" Katara cried.

Aang beamed happily at all their startled faces. "It wasn't so bad. Roku helped me get him back. I guess you guys needed two Avatars."

Iroh shoved the still gawping Sokka aside and rushed to kneel at bedside.

"I did it, Uncle," Zuko said opening a single exhausted eye. His voice was dry and rough from disuse.

"The _kitsune_?" Iroh's voice wavered.

"She's gone. For now anyway."

Tears fell freely down Iroh's face. He took Zuko's hand and placed the boy's hand on the top of his thinning scalp. "Oh, my boy. My dear boy. I should have not lost faith in you."

Zuko dragged himself up to pull his Uncle up to sit beside him. "I almost lost faith in myself," he smiled gently as his uncle clutched the other man to his chest.

Sokka caught up Toph and flung her on to the mattress near Zuko's feet. Katara snuck up on the bed next to Aang. Sokka flung his arms wide to try and encompass them all. "Hey! I said we have to stick together right, jerk?"

Zuko let himself be crushed by the weight of his family as they piled on top of him in laughter.

-end-

A/N Bits and pieces of this story stuck in my head like an earwig and it had to get out. So many little things. Why did the Fire Nation suddenly attack all the other nations? Sozin could have easily let Roku die at first yet saved him to betray him. Wouldn't the spirit of Roku try to do something in the 100 years without an Avatar? Why did Iroh visit the spirit world? All sorts of little bits and pieces.

If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with it. If you're interested the bow and arrow being used to kill the evil kitsune comes from the fox hunt in the story of Tamamo-no-mae.


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